1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming control method, an image forming control program and a recording medium. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming control method, an image forming control program, and a recording medium having a printing function to perform at least MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) printing capable of securing the MICR printing scheme and performing normal printing using an MICR cartridge without performing an authentication process.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a printing device and a multi-functional peripheral, images of valuable paper (document) such as a check and a bill have been also printed. In printing an image of such an important document, magnetic toner has been conventionally used and a password input has been also required so that, when the password authentication is successively completed, the print data are so-called MICR printed. Further, in this MICR printing, a font having a particular shape called an MICR font has been used.
Conventionally, an image forming apparatus capable of printing the MICR printing has been configured to print normal printing as well by having a configuration in which a process cartridge for MICR printing and a process cartridge for normal printing can be exchanged with each other (see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H 10-161508). This configuration has been generally provided because an image forming apparatus capable of only MICR printing lacks versatility. Further, in this image forming apparatus, the result of the determination whether the process cartridge for MICR printing or the process cartridge for normal printing is inserted is stored in a non-volatile memory (such as NV-RAM (Nonvolatile Random Access Memory), so that information whether the process cartridge for MICR printing or the process cartridge for normal printing is inserted is displayed on a display of a user interface section of the apparatus. Further, some image forming apparatuses capable of printing MICR printing have a function to prevent a copy mode operation or a facsimile mode operation while a cartridge for MICR printing is in place as a process cartridge to be operated in an image forming apparatus (see Japanese Patent Application Publication NO. H10-151832).
On the other hand, recently, many apparatuses have been designed to be connected to a network. As a result, an image forming apparatus capable of printing MICR printing is also required to be connected to a network so that plural host systems such as computers connected to the image forming apparatus via the network can print out print data. In such an environment, the function of informing whether the process cartridge for MICR printing or the process cartridge for normal printing is inserted is displayed on a display of a user interface section of the apparatus. However such a user interface may not prevent the problem of a user picking up and taking away the MICR printing result (i.e. such as checks and bills) that the other user has printed. Therefore, there is demand for a solution to prevent the problem from occurring by improving the security of the secret document and the important documents. Further, while a process cartridge for MICR printing is inserted, a host system may request MICR printing requiring password authentication (hereinafter referred to as “authentication-requiring MICR printing”) or normal printing using the process cartridge for MICR printing without requiring password authentication (hereinafter referred to as normal “MICR printing”).
However, in the related-art technology described above, it becomes possible to switch between the MICR printing and the normal printing by exchanging the process cartridge for MICR printing and the process cartridge for normal printing. Further, as described above, when the process cartridge for the MICR printing is inserted, by preventing the copy-mode and facsimile-mode operations, a forgery of the important document is prevented. However, while such a process cartridge for the MICR printing is inserted, if an event to print authentication-requiring MICR printing that requires password authentication process occurs, a print request including the normal MICR printing that does not require password authentication occurring after the event to print authentication-requiring MICR printing is required to wait to start printing until the password authentication process is successfully completed and then the authentication-requiring MICR printing is completed. Therefore, if a user who has sent the print request of the authentication-requiring MICR printing takes time to complete the password authentication process, any processes occurring after the print request are not performed until after the authentication-requiring MICR printing is completed.
As a result, in a case where an event occurs to print normal MICR printing that is required to be performed urgently, if there is an authentication-requiring MICR printing job accumulated in advance, the process may be stopped, which is thought to be amended to improve the usability of the image forming apparatus.
Similar problems may occur in a case where an event occurs to print normal printing using the process cartridge for normal printing without using the process cartridge for MICR printing after the authentication-requiring MICR printing is started. Namely, as long as the authentication-requiring MICR printing is not completed, the process cartridge for MICR printing cannot be exchanged with the process cartridge for normal printing and therefore the normal printing is required to wait.